The Heart, Not the Shell
by Alexannah
Summary: Harry Potter was Turned at a young age, raised by Albus Dumbledore and found a mortal enemy in a previous friend, Daphne Greengrass ... all before his Hogwarts letter is even written. vampire!Harry ADMM HPDG TBHG
1. Chapter 1

**_Summary_:** The Dursleys' fear and hate of magic grows to a whole new level when four-year-old Harry arrives on the doorstep in a different state to which he left. Then the wards on Privet Drive alert Albus Dumbledore to an emergency … What will he find?

**_Rating_:** M

**_Warnings_:** Child abuse and abduction, language, angst

**_Disclaimer_:** My own take on the HP world. Deal with it.

**_Author's Notes_:** I'm not entirely sure where this fic is going, I just thought I'd make a start and see where it led me. I only decided to start because I was reading a vampire!Harry fic earlier and decided to work on this one as Cross My Heart isn't ready yet.

* * *

**The Heart, Not the Shell **

Chapter One

By Alexannah

It started out as an ordinary day. Harry woke by Aunt Petunia rapping on the cupboard door sharply, ordering him to get his lazy backside out of bed and start on breakfast. Harry took as long as possible to get dressed without invoking his aunt's wrath any more and started setting out plates on the table. He was too young to actually cook the food but she always made him watch it while she got Dudley out of bed and Uncle Vernon got ready for work in his suit and tie. (Harry personally thought he looked very silly in it, but dared not say so.)

It was a Saturday, so Harry didn't have to go to school. He didn't like school much. He'd started a few weeks ago and so far hadn't made any friends, and the teachers didn't seem to like him either. School just seemed like a place where he couldn't escape from Dudley and his friends. At least at Privet Drive (Harry had never thought of it as "home"), he was able to get out the house every now and then and walk to the swings. Dudley spent most of his time at friend's houses, so Harry wasn't often bothered there.

Like most weekends, Harry finished his chores (watching the breakfast, washing and drying up, loading the laundry and hosing down the car) and walked slowly over to the park. There were a few people there, mums and toddlers, and a couple of teenagers in a corner messing around with cigarettes. Harry sat on the end swing, slowly pushing himself up and down, watching the nearest couple of mothers with their prams.

They were talking about things Harry didn't understand, like news and politics and why men were so frustrating. A couple of things one said made Harry smile, thinking about Uncle Vernon, but otherwise he didn't think much, just watched the world go round.

He stayed away longer than usual. Most days he would go back at lunchtime and then after lunch (if the Dursleys let him have something), he would do a few more chores and then have a couple of hours locked in his cupboard to amuse himself before dinner (again, if they let him eat). Shortly after dinner was bed.

But today, Harry had been naughty. He had stolen a five-pound note from Aunt Petunia's purse when she had her back turned this morning. Harry had never been in possession of such a large (to him) amount of money, and decided to spend it quickly on something he could eat so there would be no evidence he'd taken it if Aunt Petunia found out it was missing. They would probably punish him anyway, but at least they wouldn't know for _sure_ Harry had taken it, and he may not get such a heavy punishment from Uncle Vernon.

As it neared lunchtime, Harry walked to the corner shop. He knew the way well, having often been sent if the Dursleys had run out of milk, but he'd never been from the park before. He got lost a couple of times and had to ask a few people for directions, but eventually found it and stepped inside nervously.

There was a wide rage of sweets and chocolates on offer. Harry swallowed. It had seemed like such a good idea this morning, but what if someone saw him and mentioned it to Aunt Petunia? He'd be locked in the cupboard for weeks, and Uncle Vernon might beat him. He didn't often, he'd only done it a couple of times, but when he did it was horrible. The last time had been a few months ago and Harry hadn't been able to sit down for several days.

He shuddered, pushing the memory out of his mind. He wouldn't be caught. He had this chance to do something he wasn't normally allowed to do, it made sense to take it! Harry stared at the shelves for a few minutes, simply looking in wonder at the brightly-coloured wrappers, before slowly taking a bar of plain chocolate, and after a moment's hesitation, a small packet of mints. He had never tried actual mints before, but he'd had a lick of mint chocolate chip ice-cream before, and expected it to be a similar thing.

He held his breath while the woman at the till calculated the money and he paid her, waiting for her to ask him what he was doing buying sweets, but she just smiled at him and wished him good day. Harry just nodded and scooted out the shop hurriedly.

It would be too dangerous to go back to the swings, he decided, in case Dudley came looking for him. Instead he began to wander in the opposite direction, not really thinking about what he was going. After several minutes of just stroking the wrapper, Harry finally tore a corner and broke a square of chocolate off and put it in his mouth.

It was heavenly, so delicious Harry stopped in his tracks. It took several minutes for him to get used to it, and by that time he'd finished chewing the piece and swallowed it. He tore half the wrapper in his eagerness to eat another square.

Six pieces later, Harry was beginning to feel slightly sick. He'd discovered that sucking the squares was even nicer than just chewing, but not being used to rich foods, his stomach was protesting against the chocolate. He sadly folded the wrapper neatly and popped a mint into his mouth. It was much, much stronger than he'd expected, but nice, once he'd got over the surprise. He remembered when the Dursleys had eaten curry, and that it was very hot, but once you got over the hotness it was very good. He remembered sadly that his stomach hadn't liked that very much either. The Dursleys mostly fed him on leftovers and plain food like bread and cheese, so whenever he got to taste something special – which was rare – he felt slightly ill afterwards.

Two mints later (by now Harry had figured that they were much better sucked than crunched), he realised he hadn't the faintest idea where he was. The road was a strange one and there were no houses to be seen nearby.

_I'm lost._

Harry shivered and sat down on the grass by the pavement, placing the mints and chocolate carefully by his side. He knew he would have to hide them – and the change from the note – very, very carefully when he got back to the Dursleys'.

A thought suddenly occurred to him. It was so unexpected, yet so simple, it stunned him. He was alone, with money, and the Dursleys didn't know where he was.

He could run away.

Harry didn't know why he hadn't thought of it before. He had never had a better chance to escape from the Dursleys', and such a chance would never come again. He'd never thought about it before because he knew in the big world you needed money, and he'd never had access to more than a few pence before. But now, he had at least two whole pounds, which to his young mind seemed like a huge amount. By the time Harry had thought all this, he had stood up and was jumping up and down cheering happily. Some people in a car passing looked at him strangely but he barely noticed. He just knew today was the day he would get away from his horrible relatives, and need never see them again.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore rubbed his eyes in frustration, trying desperately to ignore the persistent prickling feeling behind them. It wasn't even dinnertime yet but he was dog-tired and desperate for just a few blissful minutes of sleep. He had been working harder than usual because his deputy, Minerva McGonagall, had decided to take a well-earned holiday and his workload had suddenly increased by a vast amount, especially as he was now teaching Transfiguration as well as running the school. 

"Another down," he muttered to himself, moving the marked essay off his pile, "twenty to go."

He groaned. His head was pounding uncomfortably and he could no longer concentrate. Pushing the untidy stack of work aside, Albus reached for a sherbet lemon, keeping his eyes closed against the flurry of colour and movement of his office. He had nothing against bright colours and animation – he liked them – but it did give him a headache sometimes.

"Severus," he said out loud. Grabbing the Floo powder, almost knocking the essays off in the process, he threw it into the fire and called the Potion Master's name.

Seconds later, Severus Snape appeared in the fire.

"Can I do something for you, Albus?"

"You don't have a headache potion going spare do you, Severus?"

"Well …" Snape thought. "Yes, I think I do. Hold on a moment." Hid head disappeared and a few moments later that seemed like a lifetime to Albus he reappeared fully, brushing soot off his robes, a welcome bottle in his hand. Albus took it without even thanking him and downed it.

"Watch it, Albus. That's all I have, and you know those take a month to brew."

"I know," Albus put the half-empty vial down on his desk. "Thank you, Severus."

Snape surveyed him critically. "Work catching up on you?"

"Yes." Albus sighed. "I think I owe Minerva an apology."

"For what?"

Albus gestured at the cluttered desk. "Taking her for granted. I never realised how much she did as Deputy Headmistress. I never had that much to do when Armando was headmaster."

"Mm." Severus held out his hand. "The potion, Albus?"

"Oh, sorry. Sherbet lemon?" Albus offered as he handed the vial back, a twinkle in his eye as he knew what the answer would be.

Snape merely snorted and turned back to the fire, grabbing the Floo powder again.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Harry's joy had worn off. He had caught a bus into the next town and had been thrown off (fortunately not literally) when the two pounds sixty, which he'd thought was a lot, had run out. The people on the bus had watched him strangely the whole journey, and Harry knew it was because he was little, which he got annoyed about. Adults didn't like children staring at them, so why should they be allowed to stare at kids? It wasn't fair.

He kicked a loose piece of pebble and watched it roll away. He didn't have a watch and couldn't tell the time anyway, but knew it was getting late. The Dursleys would have already had lunch and probably done all his chores for him by now. They would be furious when he got back.

But Harry didn't know how to get back. He had abandoned the idea of running away now. He thought miserably that he'd never ever be able to get away from his relatives. The longer he stayed away, the crosser Uncle Vernon would be, and the more likely he would be to beat him. Harry stopped as his eyes filled with tears and he couldn't see where he was going. Someone bumped into him from behind and he hastily moved to one side, muttering an apology.

"Are you alright?"

Harry looked up. A complete stranger was staring at him with apparent concern.

"I'm fine," he lied, "thanks." He quickly started walking in the other direction.

A few minutes later a car stopped by him. Harry watched as a man wound the tinted window down, wincing at the bright daylight, and leaned out slightly to talk to him.

"Your mum asked me to bring you home, kid."

Harry stared at him before replying slowly, "My mum's dead. I live with my aunt."

The man looked taken aback before hastily correcting himself, "I'm sorry, I meant your aunt. Hop in."

Harry looked at the stranger warily. He thought the Dursleys would have come to get him personally. Who was this man, and why had they sent him? He looked up and down the street but no-one was taking any notice of them – at all, in fact. They simply passed him as if he wasn't there. Normally there would be the odd person muttering "Excuse me" or "Sorry" if they knocked him.

"Who are you?" he asked warily.

"I'm a friend of your aunt's," the man smiled, convincingly. Harry noticed he didn't smile very widely though. "Come on, hop in the car. I promised your aunt I'd take you home."

Harry backed away nervously. He didn't like this man. He turned and started to run, but a moment later a pair of cold hands belonging to the man found their way on his shoulders in a firm grip. He struggled, crying out, but froze as something cold and metal pressed itself to his throat.

"Get in the car," the man hissed.

Harry cast his eyes around desperately. No-one seemed to notice he was being attacked, threatened and kidnapped in the middle of a crowded street. They paid him no attention whatsoever, not even blinking. He began to panic as the man forced him backwards towards the car.

"Good boy. Now get in, and stay silent."

**TBC …**

**_Note about reviewing:_**_ Please, for the love of Merlin, **do not** review simply to tell me to **update**! I get it all the time and am sick of it. **If **you review, **please** say what it is you did or didn't like, and bulk out your review as much as possible. Make it worth the review alert, please! As always I love guesses where the story is headed and what I'm going to do next, and helpful suggestions are always welcomed. Don't flame.  
Thanks._


	2. Chapter 2

**_Summary_:** The Dursleys' fear and hate of magic grows to a whole new level when four-year-old Harry arrives on the doorstep in a different state to which he left. Then the wards on Privet Drive alert Albus Dumbledore to an emergency … What will he find?

**_Disclaimer_:** My own take on the HP world. Deal with it.

* * *

**Chapter Two  
**  
by Alexannah 

Harry sat frozen in the car seat, his breathing restricted from panic. Who was this man, and what did he want with him? Harry could see he was going in completely the wrong direction to take him home. He was heading in a direction Harry had never been in before, towards the countryside.

Neither of them spoke. Harry sat trembling in the back of the car while the stranger drove in silence. Harry was afraid. He didn't like this man and he just wanted to go back to Privet Drive. At least there he knew what was what.

The man drove smoothly, almost gliding through the traffic. He made no noise at all. Harry could see his profile against the window; he had sharp features, and thick black hair smoothed back from his forehead, and he wore dark sunglasses. The windows were tinted so they let in little light. Harry fidgeted on the back seat, wondering what was going to happen to him, growing more afraid by the minute.

They seemed to drive in hours. Harry desperately needed the toilet and had to keep his legs firmly crossed. It was getting dark when the stranger finally appeared to be stopping.

Hoping he would be let out soon, Harry waited nervously as the man pulled up outside an old farmhouse. It looked deserted. He switched off the engine and turned round in his seat to face Harry for the first time.

"You're quiet," he commentated in a low, smooth voice. "Normally ones your age scream their heads off and I'm nearly deaf by the time the sun sets." Harry gulped and he smiled, barely opening his mouth. "Figuratively, of course. I have excellent hearing.

Now get out." The man opened the driver's door and slid out the seat, adjusting a button that made the locks on the back doors click. "And be quick about it. I'm hungry and I don't have all night."

Harry's hands shook as he opened the door. He'd barely left his seat when the man had him pressed against the side of the car, a cold hand round his throat, half-choking him.

"Don't struggle," his attacker instructed sharply. "It'll just wear me out more and make it hurt you more. Come."

The man dragged Harry over to the barn. The door was rotten and the walls were half-gone. He kicked the panel of wood off its hinges and pulled Harry inside.

It was dark and it smelt horrible. Harry winced as the man threw him down on the hard stone floor, breathing in deeply.

"Aah," he sighed, "relief." Then he looked down at Harry, who hadn't moved, just lay shaking.

He considered him for a moment. "You're not much fun. I prefer the ones that fight back. Aren't you going to try and escape, little boy?"

Harry didn't move.

"No. Well, I suppose it does make my life easier. Up."

The voice was commanding but Harry didn't obey. He didn't know what was going on but he had a feeling he was in Very Deep Trouble.

"I said, up," the man repeated, in a soft, dangerous voice. Harry shook with fear but otherwise didn't move. The man bent down and grabbed him by the neck, pulling him to his feet.

"Stop messing around, boy. I told you I don't have all night."

Harry froze. When the man had spoken sharply, he'd caught a glimpse of something – something he'd never seen on a _human_ before …

* * *

Albus stared blankly at the bright blue sea and soft white sand wistfully, taking in the red letters "Wish You Were Here" printed in the corner, and sighed. 

"Wish you were back here," he muttered. "No, scratch that, I wish I was there." He rubbed his eyes. "Minerva, I promise you a year's supply of Ginger Newts if you just Firecall now … please." Albus watched the fire but nothing happened. He propped the postcard up on the mantelpiece and grabbed a handful of Floo powder.

"Severus, I need a break. Can you change the staff meeting till tomorrow?"

Five minutes later Albus was back where he belonged: the Quidditch pitch. He'd played Beater back when he was a student (a _long_ time ago!) and had never lost enthusiasm for the game. Minerva and Rolanda Hooch were the only ones who could rival him as a fan. As he rounded the goalposts on his fifth lap round the pitch, the wind rippling through his hair, he felt the remainder of his headache ebb away.

If he went back now it would just return the moment he saw the mountain of work he had to do. Maybe he should just stay where he was.

* * *

Harry was breathing very hard, staring in shock down at the limp body below, one hand clasped over his neck. Drips of blood were running down his fingers and falling onto the straw. 

He had just killed a man.

Harry may have been young but he knew killing someone was the worst possible thing he could ever do. Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia had always said he was bad, and they were right.

An older person or someone who had been brought up differently would have argued that it was only self-defence. But Harry didn't think about the fact that the man – the vampire – had been trying to kill him for his blood. Neither did he think that if he hadn't scrambled up to the balcony, and the vampire hadn't slipped off the edge trying to get at him and ended up impaled on a sharp piece of rusty machinery, that he would most certainly be dead now instead.

Harry shook. He was scared out of his wits. He would go to Hell for this, Aunt Petunia always said he would.

Maybe if no-one found out? Harry could run away from here and hopefully no-one would know it was him. Decision made, Harry turned and fled the barn.

He ran until he had to stop for breath, bending over and clutching a stitch in his side. It was completely dark now. Harry had no idea where to go or how to get there. He sat down at the side of a road and cried.

It seemed like forever had passed before he heard a car approaching. Scrubbing his eyes with his sleeves, he clambered awkwardly to his feet in a hurry and jumped up and down, waving and shouting.

At first the car passed him, but then it braked and reversed. Harry was so relieved to have found another human being all logical thoughts against getting into a stranger's car were gone.

The door opened and a middle-aged woman looked out at him. "Are you lost, sweetheart?"

"Yes," he started, breaking down into sobs again.

"Oh dear. Get in the car, you're far too young to be on your own at this time of night."

Harry scrambled gratefully into the passenger seat and the woman fastened his seatbelt for him. "How did you get out here on your own?"

"I ran away from home," Harry said miserably.

The woman was sympathetic but insisted on taking him back to Privet Drive ("Your family will be frantic!"), rather than an orphanage, as Harry had half-hoped. But, he thought, after he told her the address, at least at the Dursleys he knew where he stood. Other adults didn't understand and just confused him.

Harry curled up on the seat and went quiet. He could feel a dull pain beginning to build up in his mouth, and his shoulders were starting to ache. The car heater was gradually feeling more and more unpleasant.

He could tell what was happening. He wasn't stupid: he'd heard all the scary stories the kids at school liked to tell each other when the teachers weren't around, about vampires and werewolves and monsters under the bed. He knew what the man was, and he knew now that he was one too, or at least becoming one. His young mind knew it, but couldn't comprehend it properly. He, Harry James Potter, was officially a freak of nature.

If the Dursleys loved him, he thought, this was their chance to show it. They had always accused him of being a freak: well, now he was. If they were his family, they'd accept him and help him.

The woman pulled up outside Number Four. She was surprised there were no police around, but said she would take him inside to his aunt and uncle. Harry nodded, taking his seatbelt off, but as the light in the car came on he flinched – it hurt!

She looked sideways at him in the light and shrieked.

The next thing Harry knew, he'd been pushed out of the car onto the pavement, more lights were flickering on in the Dursleys' house, the woman almost backed into Number Ten's fence in her hurry, Aunt Petunia was hurrying outside to see what the commotion was, and the car was disappearing fast.

Harry lay on the pleasantly cold tarmac, breathing hard and reeling from shock. Aunt Petunia started to speak but the words died on her lips. A look of fright and confusion appeared on her face as she took in Harry's appearance.

**TBC … **

**A/N:** Did Harry seem too old in this chapter? He's meant to be four. It's difficult to write him that young from his own POV. Plus, a couple of paragraphs I edited quite late, so if it seems to flow funny just ignore it or point out which ones and how in a review.

Oops, forgot review responses ...

**Review Responses for Chapter One**

**Silver Dog Demon:** Yeah, little Harry is really cute, isn't he? He's also unbelievably hard to write!

Thanks also to **skichik**, **adge9631**, **Kemowitch92**, **the darker girl**, **rosiegirl** and **Baldur** for reviewing!

_**Note about reviewing:** Please, for the love of Merlin, **do not** review simply to tell me to **update**! I get it all the time and am sick of it. **If **you review, **please** say what it is you did or didn't like, and bulk out your review as much as possible. Make it worth the review alert, please! As always I love guesses where the story is headed and what I'm going to do next, and helpful suggestions are always welcomed. Don't flame.  
Thanks._


	3. Chapter 3

_**Summary:**__ The Dursleys' fear and hate of magic grows to a whole new level when four-year-old Harry arrives on the doorstep in a different state to which he left. Then the wards on Privet Drive alert Albus Dumbledore to an emergency … What will he find? _

_**Rating:**__ T _

_**Disclaimer:**__ My own take on the HP world. Deal with it. _

_**Author's Notes:**__ Sorry for taking so long to update, RL and my muse were being pains in the backside! But the good news it, I have a Harry ship: __**Harry/Daphne Greengrass**__! I'm fond of the major character/minor character thing at the moment. I'm also adding Terry Boot/Hermione and Ron/… someone (probably either Luna or Susan Bones) to the ship list. And I've worked out where they will come in and everything. FYI, this fic will go as far as Hogwarts fourth year at least.  
I've changed the rating down one. I think I over-rated it before. The worst really is over till we get to Hogwarts, and then it's not worse than the books._

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Chapter Three**

_BRRIINNG!!!!!_

"Whaa …!" Albus jumped violently, sending water everywhere. He'd been falling asleep. "Minerva? … Oh, damn." He climbed hurriedly out of the bath, slipping and falling in a painful position. "Ow!"

_BRRRRRIIIIIIIINNNNNNNG!!!!!_

"I'm coming!" he yelled at no-one in particular, scrambling to find his clothes. He'd left his robes in the bedroom. Grabbing his pyjamas, he pulled them on inside-out, picked up his wand, dropped his wand, picked it up again and ran into his living-room.

The bell was the one set for Privet Drive's wards. Albus inwardly cursed, grabbed his cloak and called Fawkes.

Privet Drive looked normal. There was no sign of Death Eaters, anyway. Albus pulled his cloak tighter round him and hurried up to Number Four.

No-one came to the door. He rang five times before subtly unlocking it and hurrying inside. The place seemed to be deserted.

"_Point me_, Harry," he whispered to his wand. It turned in his palm, leading his gaze to … the cupboard under the stairs.

Confused, Albus pulled the door open.

-----

Harry was very drowsy, and his mouth and shoulders hurt. He was curled up in the corner, where Uncle Vernon had positively thrown him. His remaining energy was rapidly fading as he fought to restrain a gnawing hunger.

The cupboard door was thrown open abruptly, and he winced as the light burned his skin.

-----

Albus couldn't believe his eyes, but he pushed aside his surprise and acted quickly. Harry was still, his breathing irregular, his face lightly creased in pain and his eyes closed. Albus dropped to his knees, reached out and started to gently ease Harry towards him. The small boy flinched at the touch but didn't resist it, and once he was near enough Albus muttered a quick cutting spell and held his now-bleeding arm up to Harry's mouth, making soothing noises as he did so.

It took a moment or two, but once Harry had got a taste he started sucking hungrily. Albus mentally calculated fast, and when he began to feel light-headed he eased Harry off him and clutched a T-shirt from the floor onto the wound.

"Easy, now," he murmured. Harry moaned softly and Albus secured the makeshift bandage firmly before gently lifting him up. Calling Fawkes quietly, Albus shifted Harry in his hold to free a hand and grasped the tail feathers.

Fawkes brought them to one of the Hogwarts dungeons. There were cobwebs round the walls and a single cockroach on the floor. Albus cast a Scourgifying charm, transfigured the bug into a mattress and laid Harry carefully on it.

Harry whimpered and Albus shushed him gently. He whispered a summoning charm and after a moment a bottle of some dark liquid flew through an open door. Supporting Harry's head gently, he uncorked the bottle and let Harry drink from it as he had with his arm, occasionally pulling it away to stop Harry drinking too fast.

-----

Severus stared at Albus as if trying to decide whether the man had finally lost it.

"Are you sure it's him?"

"Yes, I'm sure." Albus paused. He'd known Severus Snape since he had taught him in school, and if there was one thing Severus hated it was the idea that he had been wrong about something. For the last three years Severus had been grumping about why Harry – he called him "the Potter boy" – had been sent to people who would obviously spoil him rotten, leaving him absolutely useless against Voldemort when he returned. Albus admitted he had his own reservations about leaving Harry with the Dursleys, but for different reasons. Severus was a stubborn man and refused to believe that said family could detest a child – their own nephew – enough to lock him up and leave him to starve. What Albus hadn't mentioned yet were the suspicious bruises on Harry's arms and back – he decided it would be even harder to persuade Severus then.

"Let me get this straight. _Harry Potter_ has been apparently attacked and turned by a vampire in the _one place_ he was supposed to be _safe_, and then his loving relatives shut him up in a _cupboard?_ I admit I'm not that fond of Muggles Albus, but really!"

"It's him," Albus said firmly. "The wards were tuned solely to his well-being, and there were several witnesses who saw a child fitting his description looking lost in the town nearest the place where the Ministry found the body, not long beforehand. What is so hard for you to grasp, Severus?"

-----

Harry was lying on something soft in a pleasantly cool room with no idea how he got there. Opening his eyes slowly, he saw a dark room, though he could see easily. The walls were damp, dark stone and the floor underneath the mattress was hard. Harry still felt very tired and rather weak. He was sitting up slowly when a door he hadn't noticed before opened, making him jump and back quickly into a corner.

Two men entered. From where Harry was, they looked almost like giants. One was wearing odd-looking pyjamas and had lots of white hair, a tired face with deep lines, and eyes that twinkled. The other man was wearing a black dress and a horrible scowl on his face. Harry pushed himself further back.

The twinkly man slowly knelt down in front of him so they were on the same level and looked Harry in the eye. This time Harry didn't pull back.

"What's your name?" he asked gently.

"H-Harry," the boy stammered. "Wh-who are you?"

"My name is Albus," the twinkly man said gently. "This -" he indicated the scowly man – "is Severus."

Harry nearly giggled. What funny names! He stopped himself quickly. The Dursleys didn't like it when he laughed. Looking round to make sure they weren't lurking in the shadows, he asked hesitantly, "Did you bring me here?"

Twinkly-Albus said yes, he did.

"Why?"

Scowly-Sevvrus snorted. Twinkly-Albus shot him a frown and turned back to Harry.

"You weren't very well, Harry. You needed to come here to help you get better."

Harry considered. Twinkly-Albus looked and sounded like he was telling the truth. If he brought Harry here to make him better, then he must be OK. Harry was about to consider trusting this man when he suddenly wondered where "here" was and his face fell. "Is this Orphage?"

"Pardon?"

Harry explained how the Dursleys threatened to take him to a place called Orphage whenever he was naughty. For a moment Twinkly-Albus frowned slightly, before his smile came back and he replied, "No, this isn't Orphage. This is Hogwarts. It's a school for special people."

"Oh." Harry paused. "Are you going to take me to Orphage?"

"No," Twinkly-Albus said firmly.

"Am I going home then?"

Twinkly-Albus and Scowly-Sevvrus shared a look before Twinkly-Albus said, "No, not yet."

Harry's spirits fell. "Oh. OK."

-----

The sun was bright and warm on Minerva's skin as she lay, half-asleep, on a beach towel over soft white sand. A cup of iced tea with lemon, a thick book of Muggle poetry, sandals that had been casually flicked off, a folded light cotton summer dress and a wizarding wireless were all clustered round the towel.

It was the first time in several years that Minerva had had a bit of time to herself and she was rather enjoying it. There was just one thing plaguing her: she couldn't seem to go for half an hour without thoughts of Albus and how he was getting on without her cropped into her mind. Every time she shook her head, scolding herself.

"He's a big boy Minerva, he can look after himself," she muttered crossly.

It was the fifth time this had happened in the course of the morning, and she pulled her book across her face and groaned. The next moment something dropped on her stomach, jerking her out of her nightmares of Albus' attempts to dispose of his junk mail. She had always done it for him because fire charms weren't exactly his forte, and his desk was highly flammable.

It was a letter. She tore it open, thinking of all the things she would do to her employer if he really had set his office alight.

_My dear dear Minerva - _

I am so sorry to have to interrupt your lovely time off (which you so richly deserve and should have been having yearly if it wasn't for your old coot selfishly wanting you all to himself) but an emergency has come up at home. Without going into details, I have been put in a rather awkward position of finding a home for a four-year-old just-Turned orphaned vampire and need a few of your wise words to help steer me in the right direction.

Love,  
Your old coot

Minerva shook her head, bemused. If Albus went overboard with the humbleness, not to mention the flattery, it meant he was really feeling very guilty about something. She sighed, but it didn't take her long to decide that as much as she was enjoying her time off, she was spending most of it worrying about what the "old coot" was making a mess of. Maybe it would be better to take a short trip home – just to set her mind at rest, of course.

**TBC …**

**Review Responses**

**lilyseyes27: **Well, looking back, maybe that was a slight over-reaction … but maybe she was tired and it was the last straw in a long day? But I guess seeing wings on a four-year-old would freak anyone out … not sure. Anyway, she freaked out because she saw wings and fangs on him. (_shrugs_) I would.

**Dark Phoenix in Flight:** Yeah, writing young Harry is really hard. Snape will have a part but he won't be adopting Harry. I find those fics irritating because they all seem to be manipulative!Dumbledore, which I can't stand. Liking the concept behind a story but not any other peoples' versions is normally what drives me to write fanfic.

Thanks also to **Kandra13**, **TheEveningStar**, **Cherri202**, **Silver Dog Demon**, **ImSoMMAD**, **backluck-ngprod**, **Shadows stalk during …**, **Xzavic**, **ddmato**, **Ragin' Fire**, **Caiuslover** and **adge9631** for reviewing!

**_If I've missed anyone out (or mispelt your penname) – SORRY!_**

**_Note about reviewing:_**_ Please, for the love of Merlin, **do not** review simply to tell me to **update**! I get it all the time and am sick of it. **If **you review, **please** say what it is you did or didn't like, and bulk out your review as much as possible. Make it worth the review alert, please! As always I love guesses where the story is headed and what I'm going to do next, and helpful suggestions are always welcomed. Don't flame.  
Thanks._


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary:** The Dursleys' fear and hate of magic grows to a whole new level when four-year-old Harry arrives on the doorstep in a different state to which he left. Then the wards on Privet Drive alert Albus Dumbledore to an emergency … What will he find?

**Disclaimer:** Daphne's parents are mine, the rest are JKR's.

-----

**Chapter Four**

Two days had passed, and Harry was sitting cross-legged eating an ice-cream at the top of the Astronomy Tower with Twinkly-Albus. The adults had explained patiently to him where he was and why, and that he would be staying there for a while. He wasn't complaining. He liked the castle and most of the people in it he'd met and he didn't like the Dursleys one bit.

Twinkly-Albus had assured him that he wouldn't see his horrible relatives again. Harry was cheered up by this but didn't want to be too happy in case he ended up somewhere worse.

He knew all the adults by name now. Word had quickly got around the school staff that Harry Potter the young vampire was staying in Hogwarts, out of view and knowledge of the students. Most of them smiled at him when they saw him and a few presented him with ice-creams on a regular basis. Funny-Flicky-Fillus was the best, he always carried lots of chocolate ice-cream with him in his pocket. Harry couldn't understand how it didn't melt or get all over his weird clothes but he ate it anyway. Twinkly-Albus had told him about magic and he knew that his parents used to do it but he still couldn't figure out how it actually worked.

Yesterday a new lady had turned up, Smiley-Minnie. She had laughed when he called her that and told him that no-one else ever called her Minnie, but she would let him. Harry also privately called her Mini-Minnie, because although she wasn't short, she appeared to be next to Twinkly-Albus, who he saw her with most.

Harry was reasonably happy. Being a vampire wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. At least he got ice-cream out of it, because people weren't exactly prepared to let him give them a nip as a treat. Twinkly-Albus provided him with vials of blood several times a day ("You need to get your strength up, Harry"). Harry hadn't even realised he could eat ice-cream till the first one he'd received (from Scowly-Sevvrus, surprisingly) had half-melted and Twinkly-Albus noticed.

"Can vampires eat?" Smiley-Mini-Minnie had asked, apparently surprised.

"Oh, yes," Twinkly-Albus had assured them both. "They just don't have to, and some prefer not to. Eat your ice-cream up quickly, Harry, before it melts."

Although there were perks, Harry still felt a little uneasy when the V word was mentioned. He'd heard Twinkly-Albus and Not-Always-Scowly-Sevvrus and Smiley-Mini-Minnie talking about finding a family of vampires to take him in. He didn't like the sound of that. He'd seen vampire films on TV when Dudley didn't realise he was in the room, and they slept in coffins during the day and came out at night, turned into bats and devoured their guests innocently asleep in the tower room.

"Can I turn into a bat?" Harry asked Twinkly-Albus.

Twinkly-Albus smiled and said no, he couldn't.

Maybe the vampires wouldn't eat Harry because he was one of them, but wouldn't he be expected to eat innocent people too? Harry had killed once and didn't like it one bit, and even then it had been self-defence. If he refused to kill to eat, would they kill him instead? Could he even be killed now? Would they put a stake through him? Harry had always thought it must hurt.

"Mr Albus," he said unsurely.

"Harry?"

"Can I die?"

Twinkly-Albus chuckled. "Yes you can, Harry, though it's not a good idea to try it out."

"Could another vampire kill me or would it have to be a special hunter like Van Hessing?"

"Helsing, Harry." Twinkly-Albus' voice was shaking. At first Harry thought he might be upset at the thought of someone killing him, before he realised he was struggling not to burst out laughing. "Van Helsing is not real. But there _are_ special vampire hunters which could kill you, and you could possibly die at the hand of another vampire although they would find it harder. A normal person could kill a vampire too if they knew how. But rest assured Harry, that I will not let anyone hurt you while I'm around."

"Oh." Harry thought. "What would happen if I refused to feed?"

"You grow ill, like you were before I brought you here, and you would die if you stayed without feeding for too long. Why?" Twinkly-Albus asked.

"I mean if I told them I didn't want to hurt someone."

"Who?"

"The family," Harry blurted. "What if they want me to kill someone and I don't want to and they lock me in the tower and -"

Twinkly-Albus stopped him in mid-flow. "Harry, no-one's asking you to hurt anyone. In the real world, most vampires don't kill at all. There is the occasional one who is evil and does so – like the one you came up against -" (Harry shuddered at the memory) "- but no more vampires are evil than humans. Most wouldn't hurt a fly. Do you remember when you were Turned, and it didn't even hurt?"

Harry blinked and remembered the strange numbness that had spread in his body when the vampire's fangs had sank into his neck. "Oh. I remember."

Twinkly-Albus smiled. "Good boy. Harry, if something's worrying you, talk about it to me, all right? Don't let it hang over you."

Harry nodded. "OK," he said uncertainly.

"And I promise you that whoever you live with will not lock you up anywhere."

-----

When Minerva had arrived and asked what was going on, Albus had given her a short version of the story, showed her a glimpse of Harry (sleeping peacefully in the dungeon – Harry slept most of the day and Albus had arranged to take turns with some of the staff to stay with him at night when he was wide awake) to confirm his story before sitting down next to her and blurting "_What am I supposed to do???_"

Minerva, slightly taken aback, said "Well, he can't go back to the D -"

"I know!" Albus looked on the verge of tearing his hair out. Minerva had never seen him like this in all the time they had been teacher and student, colleagues and friends. "But I don't know what to do with him or where to send him. His mother's blood was the best protection he had. Hogwarts is the most protected site in Britain but there are still too many ways to get in undiscovered, especially in the summer when it's half-empty, and there's too high a risk of a student finding out and then it would be all over the school and all over the newspapers a day later. And besides, he can't grow up in a school! He needs a family, and he should really be with his own kind."

Severus spoke up from where he had been listening in a few feet away. "Are you sure that's wise, Albus?"

"He would be much better off that way – he needs to be able to be taught how to hunt, how to fly, all the customs and so on that wizards aren't supposed to know. If he lives with wizards he'll be the odd one out with them because he's a vampire, but he would also be the odd one out in the vampire world because he'd have been brought up by wizards. He's different anyway, it would be so much better for him to fit in for once."

"I know that," Severus continued, "but I meant who are you supposed to go to? How many vampires do you know?"

"Lots."

"How many can you honestly trust to take care of the Boy-Who-Lived?"

Silence.

"All right, I see your point," Albus sighed. "But what else am I supposed to do?"

"Actually, I know someone," Minerva spoke up suddenly. "Arsenio Greengrass. Remember him?"

"Greengrass, Greengrass …" Albus murmured. "Oh, yes. Twin brother, both born vampires, followed Voldemort once but left?"

"Went down in a blaze of glory and barely lived to tell the tale," Severus added. "Stupid Gryffindors."

"Brave man," Albus said.

"And he's married, with a daughter Harry's age," Minerva said promptly. "He would be perfect. Pomona knows his wife, they're both very openly anti-Voldemort and are very good parents to Daphne. They would be honoured to take care of Harry."

Severus looked triumphant, but Albus was quiet. Finally he said, "You're sure?" rather stupidly.

"Definitely. I could write to them now if you want."

-----

Minerva yawned. Because Harry was only awake at night, it had become a custom in a few short days for the staff members to take shifts staying up with him when the others were asleep. Albus was an exception: he seemed to be up all times of the day and night. Having been told by Harry that he was (miraculously) in bed, she hated to wake him, but they needed to talk.

She smiled, lost in a daydream. Harry was such a sweet child, it would be a shame when he left. Even Severus seemed to have taken to him. In the last staff meeting, Harry had entered just before it started still in his pyjamas, bless him, and went over to say hello to him. Severus didn't respond as was his norm, but after a moment took out a blood lollipop she'd caught him purchasing from Honeydukes earlier and handed it to him without looking up. Harry took it gleefully, said "thank you" politely, looked round and decided he would sit on Albus' lap tonight and did so, engaged in unwrapping his lollipop.

Minerva had asked him why he was being so pleasant to Harry, after three years of scathing comments about 'the Potter boy', to receive in reply: "Only the Dark Lord could find it in him to push away a child like that. Besides, I owe it to Lily."

_Well done Harry_, Minerva thought. Somehow he'd achieved what only his mother had ever been able to do: make the Potions Master show his human side.

Her thoughts were cut short as she gave the password and made her way to Albus' rooms. The curtains were drawn and the quilt was pulled over his head. Minerva took a second to pray he was wearing pyjamas before warily pulling the covers off his head.

All clear. She pulled them right off and sat on him.

"_Minerva!_"

Bingo.

"How on earth did you know it was me?" she said in surprise, standing up to let him roll over. Albus, bleary-eyed and with his hair everywhere, muttered something about no-one else he knew being that bony and sat up.

"Is everything all right?" he asked, hunting for his glasses. "Has something happened?"

"Harry is fine," Minerva smiled, knowing perfectly well that that was what Albus meant. "I've just received a reply from the Greengrasses."

Albus sat bolt upright. "And?"

"I don't know." Minerva fingered the black envelope nervously. "I thought we could open it together."

For a moment they just looked at each other, before diving for the envelope as one.

The parchment was thicker than normal and the handwriting was a neat curled script. Minerva beat Albus to it and read it out loud.

_Dear Professor,_

I received your enquiry about the young Harry Potter. I have to say I was surprised at the news that he has recently been Turned by one of my kind; and honoured that you would consider my wife and I worthy foster parents to the Boy Who Lived.

We would love to welcome Harry into our small family; however, Demetria and I agree that considering his recent history, it would be best for him if he got to know us and our daughter Daphne before we rush into an arrangement. May we have the pleasure of visiting him where he resides with you at your earliest convenience?

Yours sincerely,  
Arsenio Greengrass

**TBC …**

**Review Responses for Chapter Three**

Unfortunately I am on holiday and have limited internet access – just enough to post this chapter. Not being able to easily access my reviews, I cannot post responses to them yet. Check back in a week, or next chapter if I forget. A broad thanks to everyone who reviewed!


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